UPDATE: Now that I think about it, how does getting health care reform only up Obama's grade by one small fraction of a point, from a B+ to an A-? This was his most important initiative of his presidency. Le me give an analogy:
You procrastinate until the last minute, then pull an all-nighter the night before your thesis is due (well, actually, instead of finally buckling down, you only half-heartedly study) - and the next day you flunk your thesis. Your final grade isn't lowered from an A- to a B+.It's telling that Obama's doesn't qualify his remarks with regards to what kind of health care package gets passed. Any package is apparently sufficient. And thus the reason, I'd argue, that Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, and all the rest feel that they can hold Harry Reid and Barack Obama hostage on any and every provision of the bill - they know that passing a bill is more important to the Democratic leadership than passing a good bill.
Said Obama: "A good solid B-plus. I think we have inherited the biggest set of challenges of any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. We stabilized the economy... We are on our way out of Iraq. I think we've got the best possible plan for Afghanistan. We have reset our image around the world."
Why only B-plus?
"B-plus because of the things that are undone. Health care is not yet signed. If I get health care passed we tip into A minus."
